Cotton-thinner.



PATENT-ED JANils, 19.03.

G. L. GREEN. 0on0: THINNER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1902.

3 SHEETS-$113121 1- no MODEL.

N 718,451. PATENTED-JAN.13, 1903. ,G. L. GREEN.

COTTON T HINNER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2a 1902.

uo'nonnn. a sums-sans? 2.

NORM: PETER! C0,, PHOTO-H1110" wAsmuomN. n4 0.

PATENTED. JAN. 13,1903.

G. L. GREEN. COTTON THINNER.

APPLICATION FILEDJAN. 2.8, 1902.

a snnms-snnn'r 3'.

N0 MODEL.

6' O lgxkgiap GEORGE L. GREEN, OF NEWARK, ARKANSAS.

GOTTON-THINNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,451, dated January13, 1903.

, Application filed January 28,1902. Serial No. 91,636. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. GREEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Independence'and State of Arkansas,have invented a new and useful Cotton-Thinner, of which the following isa specification.

Myinvention is an improved cotton-thinner for destroying superfluouscotton-plants in the ridges by plowingout the latter and reducing thecotton-plants to stands at appropriate distances apart; and my inventionconsists in the peculiar construction and combinationof deviceshereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of acotton-thinning machine constructed inaccordance with myinvention. Fig.2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same, taken on aplaneindicated by the line a a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a verticallongitudinal sectional View of the same, taken on a plane indicated bythe line b b of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail perspective views ofthe vertically-movable shovels which operate midway between thecotton-rows. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view. Fig. 7 is a detailelevation. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one of thevertically-adjustable thinningplows.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a ground-frame 1, which ishere shown as comprising a pair of runners 2, disposed at a suitabledistance apart and connected together by a cross-bar 3, the ends ofwhich are secured on the upper sides of the runners at points aboutmidway between the front and rear ends thereof. On the under sides ofthe runners 2, near the front and rear ends thereof, are keels orsubrunners 4, which are adapted to run in the loose earth and across theridges and prevent lateral movement of the ground-frame when the machineis in operation..

A pair of vertical guide-bars 5 rise from the upper side of each of therunners 2 and have their upper ends connected together by alongitudinally-disposed bar 6.

A vertically-movable plow-carrier frame 7 is here shown as comprising apair of transversely-disposed front and rear beams 8 9 and a pair ofside bars 10, which connect the ends thereof together. The front andrear beams 8-9 are provided near their ends with vertical openingsthrough which the vertical guidebars 5 extend, and thereby thevertically-adjustable plow-carrier frame is guided by the said bars 5.Bars 11 connect the front and rear beams 8 9 together at points near thecenters thereof, and from the said bars 11 rise locking-standards 12,which are provided on their front sides with rack-teeth 13. A pair ofadjusting-levers 14 are fulcrumed on brackets 15, which are here shownas bolted to the bars 6, but which may be of any suitable constructionand secured to the said bars in any suitable manner. The outer ends ofthe adjusting-levers 14 are connected to the side bars 10 of thevertically-adjustable plow-carrying frame by chains 16 or other suitableconnecting elements. The inner portions of the adjusting-levers 14 maybe engaged with appropriate rack-teeth 13 of the standards 12 to securethe said levers 14, and hence the plow-carrier frame, when the latterhas been adjusted to any desired position. A seat 17 for the driverrhasits supporting-bar 18 secured on the center of the plow-carrier frame.In the embodiment of my invention here shown the tongue 19, by which themachine is drawn across the ridges by the team, has its rear endconnected to the plow-carrier frame; but within the scope of myinvention the tongue may be connected directly to the groundframe, and Ido not desire to limit myself in this particular. A series of pairs ofthinningplows 20 are carried by the beam 8, which forms the front sideof the vertically-movable plow-carrier frame. The thinning-plows of thesaid pairs are reversely disposed and are so spaced apart as to leave astand of cotton between each pair of thinningplows. Each of the lattercomprises a laterally-inclined blade 21, having its inner side 22straight and parallel with the line of draft and its outer side cut awaydiagonally to form a diagonally-disposed cutting edge 23, whichconverges forwardly to the inner straight edge 22. On the latteris anupstanding cutter and fending blade 24, the upper edge of which inclinesdownwardly forwardly, as shown in Fig. 8. My improved cotton-thinningmachine may be provided with any desired number of pairs of thesethinningplows, according to the size of the machine and the number ofrows of stands which it is designed that the same shall leave at eachoperation across the cotton-ridges. The thinning-plows of each pair aredisposed at a distance of a few inches from each other, so that theplants which pass between their inner straight edges will be leftuntouched to form the stands. The said thinning-plows operate closely onopposite sides of the rows of stands, and their laterally-inclinedblades 21, which in the respective adjacent pairs of thinningplows arereversely disposed and incline toward each other, serve to plow out,overturn, bury, and destroy the plants intervening between the standswhich are left.

Each of the thinning-plows 20 is provided with a standard 25, which maybe either of the form here shown or of any other suitable form and isprovided at its upper end witha vertical portion 26, which is providedon its front side with adjusting-teeth 27. On the rear side of the frontbeam 8 of the verticallymovable plow-carrier frame are secured metallicplates 28, which are formed with vertical grooves 29 in their rearsides, in which grooves are adj listing-teeth 30, which engage the teeth27 of the thinning-plow standards. A lock-bar 31 bears against the rearsides of the upper portions of the thinning-plow standards to lock thesame at any desired adjustment to the plates 28, and hence to the beam8, and said lock-bar is detachably connected to the beam 8 by bolts 32and clamps the standards of the thinning-plows to the plates 28, as willbe understood.

1 further provide a plurality of shovel-plows 33, one of which isdisposed to operate in rear of each pair of the thinning-plows andmidway between the rows of stands, so as to plow out and destroy theplants which would otherwise be left standing between the rows by thelaterally-inclined blades of the thinning-plows. The beam 34 of each ofthe shovel-plows is fulcrumed, as at 35, on the rear beam 9 of thevertically-movable plowcarrier frame. The latter is provided on oppositesides of the seat 17 with vertically-disposed guide-posts 36. The frontportions of the plow-beams 34 form levers by means of which theshovel-plows 33 may be raised or lowered, and the said levers 37 areprovided with openings 38 of such size as to allow the posts 36 to passthrough them. The levers 37 of the shovel-plow beams on each side of theseat converge, and are thus connected to one of the guide-posts 36 andare adapted to play vertically thereon and to be operated by the feet orhands of the driver, so that he may elevate either of the shovel-plowsat will independently of the others. On the guideposts 36 are springs39, which operate independently of each other and each of which bearsupwardly on the under side of one of the levers 37. The said springsnormally depress the shovel-plows and keep the same in operation whenthe machine is at work to plow out and destroy the plants left betweenthe rows of stands. In the event, however, that the plants have sproutedor come up? irregularly, so that there is no plant on a ridge where astand should be left, the operator by depressing the lever 37 of theappropriate shovel-plow may raise the latter and cause it to leave astand to compensate for the vacancy. The rear ends of the bars 11project rearwardly of the beam 9 for a suitable distance, and asupporting-bar 40, which engages the under sides of the beams of theshovel-plows while the latter are at work and secures them at thecorrect vertical adjustment, is secured to the rear ends of the saidbeams 11 and has its ends bent forwardly, as at 41, and secured to theend portions of the rear beam 9.

It will be understood that when the plowcarrier frame is lowered thepairs of thinningplows and the shovel-plows which operate midway betweenthe rows of stands left by the thinning-plows are lowered with it andthat by adjusting, the said plow-carrier frame by means of the levers 14and locking-standards 12 the thinning-plows and shovel-plows may becaused to operate at any desired depth in the ground. It will be furtherunderstood that the thinning-plows and shovel-plows serve not only tocut out and destroy the cotton-plants intervening between the rows ofstands, but also thoroughly stir, pulverize, and cultivate the soilbetween the said rows while the cotton-plants are small, and thusgreatly promote the growth thereof and correspondingly lessen the laborof subsequent cultivation during the growing of the crop. By raising theplow-carrier frame the thinhing-plows and the shovel-plows are raisedfrom the ground, and the carrier-frame being secured by the levers 14and locking-standards 12 in its elevated position the machine may bereadily drawn to and from the field.

I do not desire to limit myself to the precise construction andcombination of devices herein shown and described, as it is evident thatmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- 1. A cross-ridgecotton-thinner comprising a frame having supports to bear and run on theground across the ridges, pairs of thinning-plows disposed across theframe, the respective plows of each pair being spaced apart to pass onopposite sides of the stands,

and the respective pairs being spaced apart 2 A cross-ridgecotton-thinner comprising a frame having supporting-runners withdepending keels on their lower sides, pairs of thinning-plows disposedacross the frame, the respective plows of each pair being spaced apartto pass on opposite sides of the stands, and the respective pairsbeingspaced apart to correspond with the required width of the spaces betweenthe rows of stands, cultivator-plows disposed across the frame in rearof and in the row-spaces between the pairs of thinning-plows, and meansto move the cultivator-plows vertically independently of each other andof the thinning-plows, substantially as described.

3. A cross-ridge cotton-thinner having a frame, pairs of thinning-plowsdisposed across the frame, the respective plows of each pair beingspaced apart to pass on opposite sides of the stands and the respectivepairs being spaced apart to correspond with the required width of thespaces between the rows of stands, cultivator-plows disposed across theframe in the row-spaces between the pairs of thinning-plows, and meansto move the cultivator-plows vertically independently of each other andof the thin hing-plows, substantially as described.

4. In a cross-ridge cotton-thinner, the combination of a ground-frame, avertically-movable frame carried thereby, pairs of thinningplowsdisposed across the frames and carried by the vertically-movable frame,the respective plows of each pair being spaced apart to pass on oppositesides of the stands and the respective pairs being spaced apart tocorrespond with the required width of the spaces between the rows ofstands, cultivatorplows disposed across the frames and carried by thevertically-movable frame, said cultivator-plows being disposed in therow-spaces between the pairs of thinning-plows, guides for thevertically-movable frame, levers to raise and lower the same, and meansto lock said levers and thereby lock said verticallymovable plow-carrierframe at any desired adjustment, substantially as described.

5. A cross-ridge cotton-thinner having a frame, pairs of thinning-plowsdisposed across the frame, the respective plows of each pair beingspaced apart to pass on opposite sides of the stands and the respectivepairs being spaced apart to correspond with the required width of thespaces between the rows of stands, cultivator-plows disposed across theframe in the row-spaces between the pairs of thinning-plows levers toraise and depress the cultivator-plows independently of each other,guides for said levers and springs to normally depress saidcultivator-plows, substantially as described.

'6. A cross-ridge cotton-thinner having a frame, pairs of thinning-plowsdisposed across the frame,, the respective plows of .each pair beingspaced apart to pass on opposite sides of the stands and the respectivepairs being spaced apart to correspond with the required width of thespaces between the rows of stands, cultivator-plows disposed across theframe in the row-spaces between the pairs of thinning-plows, levers toraise and depress the cultivator-plows independently of each other, andsprings to normally depress said cultivator-plows, substantially asdescribed.

7. In a cross-ridge cotton-thinner, the combination of a ground-framehaving vertical guides, a vertically-movable frame engaged by saidguides, levers having fixed fulcrums and connected to saidverticallymovable frame to raise and lower the latter, pairs ofthinning-plows disposed across the front side of said vertically-movableframe, the respective plows of each pair being spaced apart to pass onopposite sides of the stands and the respective pairs being spaced apartto correspond with the required width of the spaces between the rows ofstands, cultivatorplows disposed across the vertically-movable frame inthe row-spaces between the pairs of thinning-plows and having theirbeams fulcrumed on the rear side of said verticallymovable frame andprovided with operatinglevers whereby said cultivator-plows may beraised and depressed independently of. each other, and springs tonormally depress said cultivator-plows, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEO. L. GREEN.

Witnesses:

T. M. WALDRIP, J. P. MAGNEss.

